It seems like a lifetime ago to Jeff Bradford when he was drumming to some of the hardest core tunes in rock music.
On the road performing nonstop, Bradford was having a blast as a consummate musician complete with some of the fanfare afforded megastars. That was until Father Time literally hit him.
“When my wife and I had our first child, the child didn’t like to sleep,” said the musician and Baltimore resident. “So, I’d sing a lullaby and then, I thought, if I could play the music, why not make it more fun?”
Bradford’s love of music and his newborn, Rollins, inspired the music maker to create what he calls a jamming lullaby series, or “Jammy Jams.”
“My wife thought it was a great idea and she told me to go for it, so I did and then me and a friend created our own record label and it’s been fun,” Bradford said.
Bradford has released lullaby versions of many classic songs, including hits by Lady Gaga, the Fray and Stone Temple Pilots.
Now, Bradford has added Hip Hop and R&B classics to his repertoire, naming his latest collection, the “Once Upon A Rhyme” series.
“It has old-school melodies that also contains calming instrumental renditions for parents to enjoy with their babies,” Bradford said.
The newest songs include Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ But A G Thang,” Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise,” TLC’s “Waterfalls,” and the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems.”
Each of the tracks are available in three formats, CD, digital download and album download cards, which can purchased at: www.jammyjams.net.
“This is a fun, modern twist on lullabies for parents who strive to create memories with their little ones while teaching them a thing or two about their own style,” Bradford said. Each song includes the sounds of a vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, piano, blocks and other instruments, and are all performed and arranged by Bradford and his friend, Tim Phillips.
“We just started doing the music of Run-DMC and Outkast and posted it online and people really liked it,” Bradford said. “We’ve covered three or four different genres of music and it’s a blast.”
Jammy Jams is now recognized in and available in places such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Norway, Denmark and Australia.
Unlike traditional musicians who tour to sell their records, Bradford said there are obvious reasons he and Phillips won’t be hitting the road in a touring bus.
“Our music is made to put people to sleep, so I don’t think live performances will work out to well,” he said. “I can’t imagine that too many people are going to want to come and see anyone perform, ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’”